Now, get samples tested in Indore
There was a ray of hope on Thursday amid the COVID-19 scare. It’s good news for Indoreans that testing facilites to track the deadly virus has started at the microbiology lab at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College.
Meanwhile, sample of a 73-year-old man, who was admitted to a private hospital on Wednesday night has been taken and will be tested here in Indore itself.
According to Dean of MGM Medical College Dr Jyoti Bindal, “Consultant of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr Arvind Rai visited the microbiology lab at MGM Medical College on Thursday and expressed his satisfaction over the facility. He also trained our staff over testing of samples for COVID-19.”
She said they have started testing of the patients and report of the patients would be found in a day.
However, first few samples of the patients would also be sent to National Institute of Virology, Pune for re-confirmation of the reports of Microbiology Lab.
Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Pravin Jadia said that as many as 19 samples were sent for testing so far out of which 18 samples were tested negative while report of one patient is pending.
“Report of the 73-year-old man, who was kept in isolation at Medanta Hospital on Wednesday night, is pending. He had returned from Dubai on March 7 and developed symptoms of cough and cold after which he was kept in isolation,” the CMHO said.
Private hospitals occupied isolation wards
In a major negligence at the time of COVID-19, many of the private hospitals, out of 18 authorized hospitals, occupied the isolation wards, with other patients, which were kept reserved for the suspected patients of COVID-19.
The negligence of some of the private hospitals came to fore when health department officials asked to get the 73-year-old patients admitted in isolation in any of the isolation ward. Later, Chief Medical and Health Officer and other officials reprimanded the hospital management and told them to vacate the isolation wards.
“We have called a meeting of all 18 private hospitals which were told to prepare isolation ward. Action would be taken against them if they continue such negligence in the time of emergency,” Dr Jadia added.
IIT Indore tells students to return homes
With the third stage of COVID 19 looming large… “Seeing the uncertainty of the coming days and anxiety of the parents, students have been asked to go back to their hometowns by March 20 and be with their parents,” IIT Indore public relation officer Sunil Kumar said in a press release issued on Thursday.
He stated that all the teachers have been asked to provide the students with the course material/notes for the classes scheduled during the suspended period.
“The possibility of having classes through video-conferencing is also being explored. The course material will be shared with the students on a weekly basis. Though the classes will be conducted post resumption, these measures are being taken to keep the students abreast with their course,” he added.
The health center of the institute is regularly sending advisories on the precautionary methods to be taken. It is also in touch with MY Hospital with the updates on a daily basis as mandated by the state administration.
Kumar stated that in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, IIT Indore is taking all precautionary measures possible for the wellbeing of its community.
“From extending mid-semester break to restricting International movements, rigorous monitoring of every individual entering the Institute has become a routine affair,” he added.
The top officials of the institute are conducting daily meetings and reviewing the situation at regular intervals. Masks and sanitizers are made available within the campus and the Housekeeping & Pest Control team has been instructed to keep the campus disinfected.
All biometric attendances have been done away with and community is periodically advised to be vigilant and take care of the themselves.
All meetings are conducted through video-conferencing and internal meetings are being conducted in the open area. In this extraordinary time, some important preventive steps have been taken.
Varanasi, Udaipur and Khajuraho trains cancelled
Even as the occupancy rate has been pegged below 30% occupancy thanks to COVID-19 scare, the railway has decided to cancel the operation of three pairs of city-bound trains.
According to official information, owing to the fear of spread of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), the occupancy in several trains have fallen drastically. In such a condition, the railway has decide to cancel the operation of those trains which are getting occupancy below 30%. Under this criteria 3 pair of trains of the Ratlam Division, which originate from the city, have been cancelled.
WHICH TRAINS WILL BE HIT
* Operation of train no. 19329/19330 Indore-Udaipur-Indore and train no. 19664/19663 Khajuraho-Indore-Khajuraho will be cancelled from March 20 to 31.
*The private train of the State, which originates from the city and is run by IRCTC train no. 82401 Varanasi-Indore Kashi-Mahakal Express train’s operation, will be cancelled from March 19 to 31.
*Accordingly train no. 82403 Varanasi-Indore from March 22 to 29 and train no.8202 Indore-Varanasi from March 20 to 27 and train no. 82404 Indore-Varanasi Kashi-Mahakal Express from March 23 to 30 will be cancelled.
City gears up to tackle domestic, int'l passengers
* Special arrangements made at the city airport for screening, segregation and transportation of the Dubai-Indore flight.
* Mock drill will be conducted at airport today
* Screening facility for railway passengers will begin from Friday.
To curb and muzzle the spread of COVID-19, the city has braced up to tackle international and domestic passengers coming from flights and trains. Special arrangements have been made at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport for screening, segregation and transportation of the passengers of Dubai-Indore flight which will land on Saturday night. Similarly, the thermal screening of the passengers, coming to the city in trains, will also begin from Friday.
Though, the thermal screening of the passengers of Dubai-Indore flights is being done for the past one week, the intensity of spreading COVID-19 is growing across the world by the day. it has been decided to put all passengers under surveillance in 3 categories. Thus, District Collector Lokesh Kumar Jatav visited the airport along with Airport Director Aryama Sanyal, DIG Ruchi Vardhan Mishra, District Panchayat CEO Neha Meena, ADM BBS Tomar, CMHO Dr Praveen Jadia and other officials, to take details of arrangements made regarding prevention.
It is worth mentioning that the Dubai flight will arrive here in the city on Saturday midnight. Collector took stock of the preparation of thermal screening of all passengers of the flight. The passengers have been segregated in the following categories... such as 60 plus, pregnant women etc. and transportation to and from the airport to hospital or hotel.
Collector Jatav discussed various points with Airport Director Aryama Sanyal and prepared a flow-chart of various arrangements so that every officer on duty has a correct understanding of work division and work direction and any kind of misleading situation does not occur.
Sanyal and Dr Jyoti Bindal, Dean, MGM medical college, Indore said through thermal screening at the immigration point, passengers will be identified who have symptomatic symptoms. Such passengers will be kept in A-category and sent to MRTB Hospital through a separate transport system where their samples will be taken and the investigation process will be initiated. Other passengers will also be housed in the quarantine facility for 24 hours, for which a special center at Jagatguru Dattatreya Hospital has been developed.
Apart from this, on the basis of ‘Pay and Use’ facility, passengers will also be able to go to pre-determined private hotels but 24-hour quarantine arrangements will be ensured in those hotels.
City cares for You
Collector Jatav said, "We wish to give a message to the passengers that the city cares for its passengers and accordingly all these arrangements have been made for their safety. He re-inspected Jagatguru Dattatreya Hospital and saw all arrangements. He said that separate wards have been ensured for women, men, pregnant women and the elderly. Apart from this, separate rooms are also available for doctors, nurses and staff. Here all the arrangements of cleanliness and facilities have been ensured.
Mock drill today
Jatav said mock drills will be conducted on Friday to check the preparation for Saturday midnight flight. So that no abnormal situation arises and in case of any shortage, it should be corrected in advance. Also, officers have been appointed for the same quarantine arrangement. Accordingly ADM BBS Tomar will look after the arrangements made at the airport and another ADM Dinesh Jain has been appointed in-charge for arrangements of Jagat Guru Dattatray Hospital.
All railway passengers coming to Indore will be screened from Friday, especially those coming from Maharashtra, said officials on Thursday.
Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Pravin Jadia said this step was crucial to break the chain of COVID-19 spreading in Indore.
“As the number of affected patients is increasing in the country, these steps have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease,” he said.
Dr Jadia said that apart from thermal scanning, all passengers suffering from even the slightest of cough and cold will be thoroughly checked and if needed quarantined.
According to Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Pravin Jadia, “We will start the thermal scanning of all passengers coming to railway station from Friday. We will deploy our team there to screen the patients and the details of the passengers will registered by the railway employees.”
He said that as per the discussion with railway officials, there would be only one exit at the railway station and passengers will be informed about the screening though the public address system at the station.
Hotels as quarantine locations
Amid preparing to establish various quarantine centers in the city, the administration is also holding discussions with hotel owners to put up people who are being quarantined.
“Things are yet to be finalised, but we have made it clear that room rent would be paid by the person being quarantined. Often people do not want to be quarantined at a government set up where facilities are bare minimum, so this is an additional option for them,” Dr Jadia said.
Giving an example, health department officials said a 28-year-old man who recently returned from Germany willingly quarantines himself at a private hotel.
“He doesn’t have any symptoms and not even in the category of suspected patient. As the direction of necessary quarantine, he isolated himself and quarantined in a hotel room,’ officials said.
Dr Jadia made it clear that these self-quarantined people are not patients.
Due to COVID-19 scare, Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University has suspended all the exams of the medical, nursing, and paramedical colleges till next orders.
As per the orders released by the university, all exams would remain suspended till next orders and new schedule of the exam would be released on the website later. Decision has been taken due to the scare of COVID-19.
Exams of MBBS second prof., BHMS, BAMS and nursing were scheduled between March 19 and March 31.
IMA directs member to refrain from non-emergency surgeries till March 31
Indian Medical Association Madhya Pradesh State Branch released directives for all its members on Thursday night and appealed to them to refrain from election and non-emergency surgeries till March 31.
Along with appealing to remain safe, IMA also appealed doctors to avoid home visit of the patients.
Directives were released by Dr Mukul Tiwari, state president of IMA.
Supply sanitizers and masks to other states only after ensuring stock here
Along with taking stock of masks and sanitizers at Dawa Bazaar on Thursday, Drug Inspector Rajesh Jinwal hold a meeting with Indore Chemist Association and directed them to ensure supply of masks and sanitizers.
“We have directed the manufacturers and suppliers to send masks and sanitizers to other states only when we have ample availability in Indore and Madhya Pradesh. We have also directed them to coordinate between the manufacturers and suppliers so that no scarcity of masks and sanitizers take place,” he added.
Air India will stop complete operation of Indore-Dubai flight till April
Owing to Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), national Carrier Air India has decided to completely stop the operation of the it’s premier Indore-Dubai-Indore flight operation. AI had reduced operation of the flight from thrice a week to twice a week from March 16. On Thursday its decides to stop the operation of rest of 2 days also.
Though, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry has stopped the landing of all international flights in the country from March 22 to 31. But going beyond this AI decides to stop the operation till end of April and beginning of May.
TK Jose, Chairman MP Chapter of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), informed on Thursday that following the reporting of COVID-19 infected passengers coming in country from Dubai, the airline decides to stop the operation of flight by April. As per the information Air India has decide to cancel the operation of flight AI-637 Delhi-Indore, which arrives here on Wednesday and Saturday will also be cancelled from March 26 to April 29. Similarly flight AI-638 Indore-Delhi, which is being operated on Monday and Saturday stands cancelled from March 28 to May 4.
The aircraft used in Delhi-Indore-Delhi is used in operating Indore-Dubai-Indore flight also. Thus, AI has cancelled the operation of flight AI-903 Indore-Dubai, being operated on Wednesday and Saturday, stand cancel from March 25 to April 29. The return flight AI-904 Dubai-Indore, which is being operated on Friday and Sunday, stand cancelled from March 27 to may 3.
Senior travel agent Jose said that AI had already cancelled the operation of Delhi-Indore, being operated on Monday and Indore-Dubai flight, operated on Monday from March 16 already. Similarly, operation of AI-904, operated on Tuesday from Dubai from March 17 to April 28.
